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Mental Health

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in reviewing methods of recording calls to NHS Direct about mental health-related matters so as to align them closely with the clinical assessment system. [35509]

Ms Blears [holding answer 12 February 2002]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to this question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

All calls to NHS Direct are logged and recorded; this includes mental health calls. Nurse advisers use decision support systems (algorithms) as part of the national health service clinical assessment system (CAS) to enable them to identify the nature of the call and assess the needs of the caller. Mental health is seen as an integral part of the CAS and mental health callers will be assessed and advised using the CAS through the use of mental health algorithms developed by mental health clinicians. As CAS is available across England, the information available on all calls will become even more robust and will provide a credible data source supporting mental health service development.

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 13 November 2001, Official Report, column 679W, what the timetable is for selection and implementation of instrumentation for the measurement of clinical outcomes in the mental health services. [39845]

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 1 March 2002]: The selection and implementation of instrumentation for the measurement of clinical outcomes in mental health services is developing as planned.


Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of people, broken down by age, were (a) admitted and (b) discharged from hospital in each of the last five years where the main diagnosis was mental illness. [40577]

6 Mar 2002 : Column 431W

Jacqui Smith [holding answer 5 March 2002]: The tables show the estimated numbers of Finished Consultant Episodes and Discharges with a primary diagnosis of

6 Mar 2002 : Column 432W

mental and behavioural disorders, in England, for 1996–97 to 2001–01. The figures for 2000–01 are provisional, as no adjustments have yet been made for shortfalls in data.

Finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99), England, 1996–97 to 2000–01

1996–971997–981998–991999–20002000–01
Under 1620,21025,15020,01018,17014,580
16–2433,88036,54031,50027,87022,220
25–44103,540109,640106,35098,89079,560
45–6454,39056,19056,01054,55045,850
65–7426,09025,52024,70023,72018,840
75–8432,31032,92033,30031,56024,210
85+18,46019,18017,82017,51015,060
Not known2,400470730250420
All ages291,280305,610290,420272,520220,740
Psychiatric diagnosis as a percentage of all diagnoses2.72.72.52.31.9

Notes:

1. Data for 2001–01 have not been grossed for coverage and have a provisional status.

2. Figures may not add up due to rounding.

3. Codes have been taken from the 'International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems' Tenth Revision (ICD-10).


Discharges with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99), England, 1996–97 to 2000–01

1996–971997–981998–991999–20002000–01
Under 1620,00024,95019,62018,05014,270
16–2432,17035,13029,94025,97020,400
25–4497,330104,070100,00090,36072,230
45–6450,55052,78051,99049,48040,970
65–7424,00023,67022,74021,19016,630
75–8429,33030,31030,25027,80020,940
85+16,66017,54016,01015,23012,740
Not known2,350450690230410
All ages272,390288,890271,230248,300198,580
Psychiatric diagnosis as a percentage of all diagnoses2.72.82.52.21.9

Notes:

1. Data for 2001–01 have not been grossed for coverage and have a provisional status.

2. Figures may not add up due to rounding.

3. Codes have been taken from the 'International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems' Tenth Revision (ICD-10).


Mr. Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what monitoring of compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 in psychiatric units his Department has undertaken in the last three years; and what resources have been made available for this. [38367]

Jacqui Smith: The Mental Health Act Commission's role is to routinely visit all hospitals and registered nursing homes with detained patients to monitor the operation of the Mental Health Act and interview detained patients in private. It is also their role to monitor complaints made by detained patients through the NHS complaints procedures and monitor the operation of the consent to treatment safeguards and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice. New legislation following the reform of the Mental Health Act 1983 will fully comply with the Human Rights Act 1998.

Correspondence

Mr. Cran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when a substantive reply will be given to Dr. R. D. Fouracre's letter of 1 August 2001, concerning continence management services. [36840]

Jacqui Smith: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding to the question. I refer him to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 5 March 2002, Official Report, column 192W.

The Department has no record of receiving this correspondence. The hon. Member's office have been asked to supply a duplicate.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time was for responding to departmental correspondence; what percentage of letters took longer than one month for a response; and what percentage took longer than three months for a response in each of the last five years. [37441]

Ms Blears: The available information is in the table, which shows the percentage of letters replied to within the Department's service first targets of 20 working days.

YearVolume of lettersPercentage increasePercentage of replies sent on target
199810,64861.0
199918,346Up 72.047.0
200018,621Up 1.550.0
200119,665Up 5.660.0


6 Mar 2002 : Column 433W

Health Action Zones

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what independent evaluation has been made of the work of health action zones. [37382]

Ms Blears: The national independent evaluation of health action zones (HAZ) is due to be completed by December 2002 and is being conducted by a consortium led by Professor Ken Judge of the University of Glasgow. In addition, each HAZ is carrying out a local evaluation. Some reports have already been published and are available locally and at www.Haznet.org.uk.

Social Work Training

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidance to social services departments to ensure that care workers will not be charged when undertaking their training for the NVQ level II as set out in the domiciliary care standards. [37694]

Jacqui Smith: There is no intention either implied or stated in the draft National Minimum Standards for Domiciliary Care to levy a charge on home care workers for their NVQ training.

Foot Health Care

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many chiropodists/podiatrists were employed in the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [38214]

Ms Blears: The information requested is shown in the table.

Qualified staff employed in chiropody/podiatry in England as at 30 September each year

19971998199920002001
Headcount 3,2903,3203,3703,4703,560
Whole-time equivalents 2,7302,7502,7702,8502,890

Notes:

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.

2. Due to rounding totals may not equal the sum of component parts.

Source:

Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census



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